Farnell, an Avnet company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, has added BCN3D Technologies (BCN3D) to enhance its global portfolio of 3D printing products. BCN3D’s range of one-of-a-kind 3D printers are engineered to deliver maximum productivity with hassle-free printing features including large volume production capabilities, full connectivity, and multi-language functions.

BCN3D’s unique dual extrusion architecture with an independent two-head design enables production-grade printing and the delivery of strong functional parts suitable for use in professional, education and industrial sectors. The BCN3D range prints with quality and precision using standard materials including PLA, PET-G, TPU 98A and PVA. All printers feature a range of printing functions including single mode, duplication mode, mirror mode, multi-material mode and soluble supports mode with industrial power for daily operation.

BCN3D’s top-selling range of 3D printers now available from Farnell include:

• Epsilon W50 and W27 printers are powerful professional 3D printing solutions designed to deliver large-scale parts with industrial grade materials thanks to features such as a passive heated chamber, full enclosure, and humidity controlled environment. The Epsilon W50 and W27 offer improved print quality which is critical when printing in ABS as it is susceptible to warping. The 5" full colour, capacitive touchscreen ensures ease of use and control. Printing is available via Wi-Fi or Ethernet connectivity (online) and an SD Card (offline).

• Sigma D25 printer is a smaller and lower cost model for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). A new generation of BCN3D’s most well-known 3D printer, the Sigma D25 is powered by the Independent Dual Extruder (IDEX) system and quickly delivers functional prototypes with quality and precision.

BCN3D printers have a standard two-year warranty and are open source, allowing customers to use third party materials including the popular 2.85mm Multicomp Pro range available from Farnell.

James McGregor, Global Head of Test, Tools & Production Supplies at Farnell, said: “Farnell continues to partner with the world’s leading innovators in product development and manufacturing to ensure cutting edge technology is available to our global customer base. 3D printing is becoming extremely important in the research and development and industry, and BCN3D are right at the forefront of developing new, innovative solutions to overcome challenges associated with 3D printing. We are pleased that Farnell can offer this exciting and innovative product range to our customers worldwide with fast shipping.”

BCN3D is one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of desktop 3D printing solutions, based in Barcelona, Spain. Suitable for professionals and industry level users, BCN3D’s products are designed to be robust, efficient, versatile and adaptable.

Farnell offers a full range of market-leading test, tools and production supplies from stock to support electronic design and test, with no minimum order value and an educational discount programme. Customers have free access to online resources, data sheets, applications notes, videos and webinars with excellent customer and technical support available 24/5 in local language.

BCN3D’s range of cutting-edge 3D Printers are available for fast delivery from Farnell in EMEA, element14 in APAC and Newark in North America.

Farnell is now stocking a range of Ultimaker products in Europe. Ultimaker 3D printers help users bring prototypes and functional models to life in hours instead of weeks and are trusted by professionals, educators and innovators worldwide.

The Ultimaker range of 3D printers available from Farnell include:

• The great all-rounder: Engineered to perform, the Ultimaker 2+ is a great all-rounder that delivers consistent results. Reliable, efficient and user-friendly, this 3D printer supports a wide range of materials and is suitable for a huge variety of applications, including prototypes and customized tools.

• The precise and reliable desktop printer: Based on Ultimaker 2, the Ultimaker 2+ extended is one of the most advanced, precise and reliable desktop 3D printers around. From the moment it's out of the box, it's ready to go. Intuitive software quickly and intelligently prepares the design for print. A radial scroll wheel allows for adjustment of speed and heat even whilst it's printing. Long print jobs come with the reassurance of hours upon hours of continuous reliable printing and even the heated print bed rarely needs adjustment.

• The complex design 3D printer: The Ultimaker 3 is the most reliable dual extrusion 3D printer available, helping users achieve complex designs and improved 3D print performance due to a unique auto-nozzle lifting system, professional build and support material combinations, and swappable print cores. The Ultimaker 3 features seamless hardware, software and material integration, enabling designers, engineers and manufacturers to approach the innovation process in a completely new way and create complex geometries and remarkable design intricacy.

• The ultimate large build volume printer: The Ultimaker S5 is an easy-to-use desktop 3D printer with a large build volume that delivers accurate, industrial-grade parts, time and time again. With simple setup, high uptime, and reliable dual extrusion, Ultimaker S5 is the complete professional 3D printing solution.

“Farnell continues to invest in its range of 3D printing solutions to give broader access to 3D printing tools and accessories - whether your budget is larger or small” says James McGregor, Global Head of Category – Test, Tools and Production Supplies at Farnell.

Ultimaker products and accessories are available from Farnell.

For customers getting started with 3D printing, the element14 Community have produced a range of webinars that cover topics from ‘What is 3D Printing’ to ‘Printer and Filament Maintenance’ and ‘3D Scanning’. To join the element14 Community and download the 3D printing webinars visit www.element14.com.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, is now demonstrating its comprehensive range of 3D printing and additive manufacturing products with extensive new resources, including a new dedicated area of the website along with a series of webinars covering all aspects of the technology.

The range of 3D printing solutions available cover products from suppliers that offer different printing material technologies for both home and professional use, from Lulzbot, Multicomp, Creality and Makergear to Craftbot, Photocentric and Ultimaker.

“Premier Farnell has invested significantly in its range of 3D printing solutions and these new resources provide customers with information to get started with 3D printing or make the most of their budget, be it large or small”, says James McGregor, Global Head of Category – Test, Tools and Production Supplies at Premier Farnell. “This new resource on the website provides customers with direct access to key supplier resources, including videos and case studies, as well as an evaluation of the pros and cons of using 3D printing and the alternative technologies available.”

The dedicated area of the website also provides information about common 3D FFF 3D printing materials available from Premier Farnell. This includes materials commonly used for home use such as PLA (Polylactic Acid) and PLA Composites through to materials for professional use such as ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) and TPU / TPE (Thermoplastic Polyurethane)

The element14 Community has also launched a series of webinars to support members starting out in 3D printing. The new four-part webinar series is designed to educate members on how to get started with choosing a 3D printer and their first print, to creating their own functional items. The first three webinars are now available for download, with episode 4 to be broadcast 13th December at 7pm GMT. The webinars last one hour and are hosted by the element14 Community’s Phil Hutchinson. The full programme of topics includes:

• 3D printing for Makers Pt. 1 – Introduction:

• What is 3D Printing
• Key Components of a 3D Printer
• How is 3D Printing Different to Other Manufacturing Methods
• Types and Brands of Printer
• Types of Materials
• File Sources

• 3D printing for Makers Pt. 2 – First Print Basics:

• Heated Bed / Enclosures
• Physical Support Materials
• Walk Through your First Print Step-by-Step

• 3D printing for Makers Pt.3 – Maintenance and Diagnose Bad Prints:

• Printer and Filament Maintenance
• Diagnosing Faults with Prints.

• 3D printing for Makers Pt.4 – Create your Own Functional Items:

• Introduction to Software Packages
• 3D Scanning
• How to Take Measurements
• Your First Model

Phil Hutchinson, Senior Specialist for the element14 Community added; “These webinars intend to show members how easy it is to get started in 3D printing. Premier Farnell is increasing access to high quality, reasonably priced 3D printers through its extensive range, opening up new opportunities to makers and engineers looking to do everything from prototyping to printing replacement parts. In these four, one hour webinars I will guide members on their journey, so that they can get started straight away and realise real benefits for their projects or their businesses.”

Premier Farnell's 3D printing range and 3D printing resource is available at https://uk.farnell.com/3d-printing-solutions

To join the element14 Community and download the 3D printing webinars please visit www.element14.com/welcome

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, has added the MakerGear family of 3D printers to its range of 3D printing products, MakerGear is a technology and market leader in 3D printing systems supplying printers designed to speed the prototyping and production of end-use components and equipment.

“MakerGear printers are designed, engineered, manufactured, and inspected to standards that ensure optimal performance for professionals and innovators”, says James McGregor, Global Head of Test & Measurement for Premier Farnell: “As the Development Distributor we seek to provide our customers with technology that helps them innovate, and develop products for market quicker than ever. The range of these printers makes them suitable for a wide range of customers - from hobbyists and DIY enthusiast's right through to customers printing components for industrial applications, research and education.”

Premier Farnell will stock the single-head MakerGear M3-SE and the independent dual-head MakerGear M3-ID. Both printers provide industrial-grade precision and reliability for the prototyping and production of finished components. Simplify3D software included as standard on the M3-ID and is available as an optional upgrade on the M3-SE.

Both the MakerGear M3-ID and the M3-SE are compact enough to sit on a desk and provides top-grade performance at a low cost per part. It offers material capabilities ranging from ABS and nylon to polycarbonate and polypropylene, and features a touch probe to ensure a seamless, plug-and-play printing experience for both high-volume print jobs and low-volume, high-mix environments.

Key features of the MakerGear M3-ID include:

• Independent dual extruders: Faster, more reliable multi-material - using both extruders simultaneously, the M3-ID offers twice the production capacity of fixed-head dual extrusion systems for single-material print jobs.
• Print with unlimited complexity: The ability to combine flexible and rigid materials in to a single part to achieve the desired mechanical, thermal and chemical properties, creating 3D objects with incredible precision.

Both the MakerGear M3-ID and single head M3-SE offer:

• Wifi connectivity with remote control and monitoring capabilities

• True-Leveling and Auto-levelling using a Touch Probe to maintain its level throughout heavy usage and generating a 9-point mesh of the print surface before each print to compensate for unavoidable variations from perfect flatness.

•  An onboard computer with more than 10 Gbyte of storage

• OctoPrint for MakerGear control interface with access to features such as one-click file preparation and direct design-to-print integration

• Compatibility with a wide range of operating systems, devices, and browsers, including Windows/Mac/Linux, iOS/Android and Chrome/Firefox/Safari.

MakerGear printers will be displayed on the Farnell element14 stand at electronica 2018 in Munich, Germany, 13-16 November, Hall C5 Stand 101. Visitors to the stand can follow the design journey from research and design through to production and maintenance, with the support of demonstrations of the latest technologies available for embedded applications, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and 3D printing.

MakerGear 3D Printers are available from Farnell element14 in EMEA, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in Asia Pacific.

Premier Farnell,The Development Distributor, has added the LulzBot TAZ 6 and LulzBot Mini to its range of 3D printers.

The LulzBot TAZ 6, suited for use by engineers, developers, architects or hobbyists, is one of the most reliable and easy-to-use 3D printers on the market – boasting one of the largest print volumes in its class with 19,600cm³ usable space. The intermediate level printer also features innovative self-levelling and self-cleaning and a modular tool head design for flexible and multi material upgrades.

Key features include:

• Integrated automatic bed levelling system and self-cleaning nozzle: ensures a clean and perfectly level first layer with no manual adjustment or fiddling with complex levelling systems and a more consistent and reliable print

• Metal LulzBot v2 Hot End – enables users to print to higher temperatures and takes advantage of cutting edge new materials

• Heated PEI print surface – provides an easy-to-clean, flat surface, keeping 3D printed objects in place when hot and releases them when cool

• Print volume: the LulzBot TAZ 6 has a build volume nearly the size of a basketball, enabling huge 3D prints, or the production of many objects in a single print run

• Multiple tool head upgrade options: such as Flexystruder, Dual Extruder or FlexDually provide reliable printing of flexible filaments, two-colour or multi-material 3D printing

• Wide range of supported materials: out-of-the-box, LulzBot 3D Printers support a wide range of materials including PLA, ABS, nylon, co-polyester, polycarbonate blends, or users can build their own material profiles with 200+ customizable settings in the Cura LulzBot Edition

• Multi-software compatible: users have the flexibility to use their preferred 3D software program* or can download the Cura LulzBot Edition to their printer, providing hundreds of quickprint profiles built in for seamless 3D printing

• Community support to get you started: users can gain support and advice on the printer and projects through the Lulzbot forum

For beginners and those looking for a desktop 3D printer, the LulzBot Mini is a high performance desktop 3D printer that's perfect for home users, makers, designers, engineers or education. The LulzBot Mini is built to work straight out-of- the-box with no complicated assembly process, meaning that users can be unboxed and printing with standard profiles within 15 minutes. The Mini is operated by the same straightforward software and easy-to-read documentation as the LulzBot TAZ 6, providing users with the perfect combination of ease-to-use, flexible industrial strength capacity.

James McGregor, Global Head of Test and Tools at Premier Farnell says: “The range of LulzBot 3D printers are outstanding in their class, and provide versatility and reliability for users. The quality of print is demonstrated in the fact that LulzBot use their own printers to make parts for more printers, with more than 2 million production-grade parts. These printers provide real options for customers - whether they want to create a prototype, test concepts or create production grade parts right from their desks.”

Both 3D printers are versatile, easy-to-use and highly dependable. Each printer arrives pre-assembled and calibrated, complete with a toolkit, unpacking guide and a step-by-step manual.

The LulzBot Taz 6 3D Printer and LulzBot Mini 3D Printer are available to buy from Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in Asia Pacific.

element14 is now stocking the EnOcean Switch Design Kit, developed in collaboration with element14 and 3YOURMIND, the online portal for accessing professional 3D print services. The kit allows users to create a customizable switch, based on design data provided by EnOcean.

The EnOcean Switch Design Kit is an out-of-the-box, IoT ready kit that is flexible and cost effective. It allows an entry point to revolutionary technology for experimentation and prototype applications by innovators from business or the maker community.

The design utilizes energy harvesting technology, removing most of the design and application barriers to allow for rapid deployment of the concept and technology. Energy harvesting technology uses energy from movement, light and temperature to power sensors and radio communications with ambient energy.

For the maker market, this represents a significant opportunity. Rather than managing complex wiring within designs, the self-powered device from EnOcean can simply be placed into an existing installation. The switch application enables flexible lighting control in places without cables. Switches can easily be added where they are needed, for example, next to a bed, and the partnership with 3YOURMIND, means that switches can designed to seamlessly integrate into the end design, without the ‘made by hand’ look.

The EnOcean Switch Design Kit is available from Farnell element14 in the UK and mainland Europe. 3D Printed components can be directly ordered from 3YOURMIND.

You can read more about the EnOcean Switch Design Kit on the element14 community and element14 design center.